Depot Academy is shaping a new generation of artists. Its notable alumni include AliA, Ão, Kids With Buns and Portland, and many more are sure to follow. Marthe Rutten, talent and community builder at Het Depot, and Zoë Meysmans, part of the communication team, explain how they support aspiring musicians and what emerging artists need in today’s cultural landscape – including the occasional golden tooth.
What is the goal of Depot Academy?
Marthe: We believe that talent needs time, trust and the right context to grow. So we’ve developed a method to guide emerging artists towards a sustainable career. Through residencies, rehearsal spaces, and structural coaching, as well as knowledge sharing and experimentation. From local stages to international tours, the journey often begins at venues like Het Depot.
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Ise and Kaat Van Stralen are some of your residents. How do you become one?
Marthe: It depends. We keep a close eye on the scene. If we come across someone we like, our artistic director, Mike Naert, or I will reach out. Residencies are an entry point into a broader cultural ecosystem. By introducing young artists early on to our network, we offer a context where they can explore a professional musical trajectory.
We believe that talent needs time, trust and the right context to grow
Depot Academy runs various programmes, like the competitions Sound Track and 45Toeren and the songwriting camp LOOF!. A new edition of LOOF! took place this past May. How did that go?
Zoë: We went to a big house for a few days with a group of songwriters, where they were mentored by coaches like Meskerem Mees, and professionals from the sector. With these programmes, we want to nurture young creators at every stage of their careers. We offer them time, space and guidance before there's even a manager or press team involved. During LOOF!, the participants learned how to write songs, got to know the business side of songwriting – copyright and such – and had access to a recording studio. In the evenings, they jammed together. It was really wholesome.
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I was at last year’s Sound Track camp. I remember how quickly the artists became friends. And how someone secretly jumped into the river at night.
Marthe: And during the previous edition, someone lost a tooth!
Did someone lose a tooth?
Marthe: The guitarist from Barno Koevoet bumped into the singer with his guitar and knocked his tooth out. They decided to save up money from their gigs and bought him a gold tooth.
The gap between the professionalised industry and the reality of young artists is growing
What are some of the challenges the artists you meet face? Besides lost teeth.
Marthe: The gap between the professionalised industry and the reality of young artists is growing. Many have talent, but not yet a team. On top of working or studying and making music, they have to take care of everything themselves. Bookings, communication… Structured guidance makes a huge difference. We want to create an environment where they can grow.
What can we do to support them further?
Zoë: We need more initiatives like ours to support artists at the start of their careers. That also means creating safe and inclusive spaces where all identities and stories are welcome.
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What are Het Depot’s plans for the future?
Marthe: We want to keep developing talent. In the future, we should be able to support our artists in residence financially, too. Although pop and rock music have a huge societal impact, it only gets a fraction of the government support that other art segments, like classical music, dance or theatre, get. I hope we can change that.
Zoë: And we’ll open our own club! By 2028, our new site will be ready. It will have a nightclub and will provide more space for musicians to work and connect with each other.
Our new nightclub should be a safe space for creative communities to experiment, express themselves and bring people together
Het Depot has had a nightlife programme for a while now. Other music venues, like AB and Botanique, are also investing more in nightlife. Why do you think that is?
Marthe: Some club-oriented genres are getting bigger. Genres like punk have traditionally been linked to venues, but we also want to provide a stage for electronic music artists. We want to combine the energy of the stage with the energy of the DJ booth. Lots of musical and cultural innovation is born in night culture – disco and house music, for instance.
In the nineties, Leuven had a rich nightlife scene, with venues like Silo. What’s it like now?
Zoë: There’s the Oude Markt, but you don’t really go there for the music. And there’s Stelplaats. A lot of good things happen there, but it’s primarily aimed at a younger crowd. With our club, we want to attract a more alternative crowd – people who don’t currently have a spot to go out in Leuven. We’ll be able to allow local collectives to curate events. It should be a safe space for creative communities to experiment, express themselves and bring people together.
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This magazine’s theme is CTRL+N. So, do you have any personal resolutions for this autumn?
Zoë: I want to try not to take on too much and not to go to too many concerts or parties. [laughs] It’s okay to stay in sometimes.
Marthe: I want to make more music and write my own songs. I’m not very good at it yet, so that’s something I want to work on.
And you have an Academy for that.
Marthe: Yes! [laughs] Mike should support me too.
<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @hetdepot<br/></div>
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